I've just got band in a box 2005 for Windows and I haven't a clue how to get my head around it....

Anyone got any tips/advice? Does it just take spending a week sifting through the various styles and stuff? I have both fake books and an extra 15 pack which makes my job even more difficult .

If you burn the tracks to CD, do they sound as rubbish as they do on MIDI? Would they be a passable backing track for a singer?

I've got a friend with Band In a Box - I spent a morning with him recently and he showed me how it works - it's really not as difficult as it looks. I'm thinking of getting it myself soon, so I could help you with it as and when.

I do think it sounds quite good, but probably not to use as a backing track for a live performance as it sounds too mechanical - also, all the endings sound the same! I'm sure you could find live backing tracks instead - try the jamey Aebersold collections as they cover all the jazz standards in varoius keys.

Band in the Box is really for practising, not performing, as far as I know. My friend is a guitarist and he uses it all the time for practising his soloing. He also gets it to play these amazing improvised solos which he then learns from. God knows how Band in a Box does it.

Violinia

The quality of the sound from a band in a box file depends entirely on the quality of your sound card or external midi player. If you just rely on the standard computer card then it's always going to sound naff.

I've just emailed my friend with Band in a Box to see if he can help you by email. If he's in a good mood he just might!

Violinia